If you lived in Kiribati instead of Kuwait, you would:

Health

live 18.0 years less

In Kuwait, the average life expectancy is 85 years (84 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 12.8% more likely to be obese

In Kuwait, 40.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Kiribati, that number is 45.6% of people as of 2024.

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see 84.4% less spent on your healthcare

Kuwait spends $2,567 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Kiribati spends $401 as of 2023.

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have 38.5% less access to essential health services

Kuwait scores 78 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Kiribati scores 48 as of 2021.

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be 7.6 times more likely to die by suicide

Kuwait has a suicide rate of 2.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Kiribati, it is 17.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 92.1% less money

Kuwait has a GDP per capita of $32,312 as of 2025, while in Kiribati, the GDP per capita is $2,559 as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.5 times more children

In Kuwait, there are approximately 10.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Kiribati, there are 25.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 10.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Kuwait, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Kiribati, 80.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 5.5 times more likely to die during infancy

In Kuwait, approximately 7.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Kiribati, on the other hand, 38.8 children do as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 10.6% less likely to have internet access

In Kuwait, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Kiribati, about 89.4% do as of 2024.

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be 20.9% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Kuwait, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water as of 2024. In Kiribati, 79% of people do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 2.5 times more on education

Kuwait spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Kiribati spends 16.4% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 2.2 times more on healthcare

Kuwait spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Kiribati, that number is 10.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 2.3 times more coastline

Kuwait has a total of 499 km of coastline. In Kiribati, that number is 1,143 km.

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Safety

be 32.6% less likely to die in a road accident

In Kuwait, road accidents kill 9.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Kiribati, they kill 6.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 97.0% less home broadband

Kuwait has 1.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Kiribati has 0.0 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 97.5% less CO2

Kuwait emits 23.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Kiribati emits 0.6 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Kiribati: At a glance

Kiribati is a sovereign country in Australia-Oceania, with a total land area of approximately 811 sq km. The Gilbert Islands became a British protectorate in 1892 and a colony in 1915; they were captured by the Japanese in the Pacific War in 1941. The islands of Makin and Tarawa were the sites of major US amphibious victories over entrenched Japanese garrisons in 1943. The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
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How big is Kiribati compared to Kuwait? See an in-depth size comparison.

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